This invention relates to a gamma camera having a plurality of exchangeable collimators one of which is placed in the ray inlet of the camera while others are placed in separate supports.
As is known, collimators are used in gamma cameras to keep small the underground which otherwise appears and to provide clear images. Collimators now in use have a plurality of ray transmitting channels located next to each other which depending upon the rays they receive, namely, the isotope used, have different lengths and different inner widths or wall thicknesses. It is therefore necessary to be able to exchange the collimators.
In known cameras of this type each of the provided collimators is mounted upon a separate movable support. Thus it can be moved into the camera. During exchange the original collimator is placed upon the corresponding support and moved away. A new collimator is moved in upon another support and is fixed in the ray inlet opening of the camera. Due to the heavy weight of the collimators which can amount to 100 kg and more, this transportation of collimators requires a great deal of work. Furthermore it is difficult to set the collimator and the camera correctly relatively to each other.